Citrus fruit peelers



Nov. 8, 1955 J. LEVlTIN CITRUS FRUIT PEELERS Filed Dec. l0, 1953 IN VENTOR.

Unite States Patent CITRUS FRUIT PEELERS Joachim Levitin, New York, N.Y.

Application December 10, 1953, Serial No. 397,356

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 17, 1952 2 Claims.(Cl. 30-24) The object of this invention is to provide improvedconstructions which will facilitate the peeling, particularly of orangesand grapefruit. It is related more particularly to those citrus fruitpeeling devices which comprise in combination runner means mounted onthe body for contacting the outer surface of the fruit and at least oneself-adjusting peel cutting member, also mounted on the said body of thedevice. One feature of the present invention, namely, the handle partwhich has a degree of free movement independent of the body portion canobviously be applied to peelers of the types not mentioned in thisspecification.

The main object of this invention is related furthermore to theprovision of a peel cutting element or elements which while cuttingthrough the peel of a fruit do not affect or even contact the surface ofthe carpels covered by the said peel of the fruit. In accordance withthis invention the self-adjusting peel cutting member comprises a peelcutter of a crown type which is attached to a resilient mounting meanson the body of the peeler, the said resilient mounting means being suchthat the said peel cutter is movable at right angles to but not alongthe fruit-contacting surface of the runner means of the peeler. A peelcutter of the crown type comprises a peel cutting blade attached to itsbase, the free end of the peel cutter carrying a linger or platelikeextension, or a plate to form a right angle projection or shoulder whichcan engage the underside of the peel along one or both sides of the lineof cut of the peel. In the process of peel cutting the runner means ofthe peeler glide in contact and along the surface of the fruit, the peelcutter blade cutting the peel, while the crown of the peel cutter liftsthe side (or sides) of the peel formed by the cut. The lifting action ofthe crown peel cutter is assured and augmented by the resilient mountingmeans which are so arranged as to provide an upward tension or pressureagainst the underside of the peel by the crown of the peel cutterengaging the said underside of peel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a handle part to the bodyof the peeler such as will allow the said body of the peeler, andtherefore the peel cutting element itself, to retain a constantorientation with respect to the surface of the fruit in the process ofpeel cutting. This feature is particularly relevant in citrus fruitpeelers in which during the peel cutting operation the fruit is ixed inspace but the peel cutter or cutters are made to revolve round thefruit. Obviously, if no such provision is made the peel cutting elementmay easily escape from the peel, or become so tilted as to make itsprogress while cutting the peel dilicult.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, two citrusfruit peeling or peel cutting devices designed according thereto areshown by way of examples in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l shows a side elevation of a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 show a plan view of it.

Fig. 3 gives a side view showing the embodiment while cutting a peel ofa fruit.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section through the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the second embodiment.

Referring first to Fig. l and Fig. 2, the embodiment shown comprises abody portion or a frame-work of which 1, 1 are the side-walls or sidebars, 2 is the back cross-bar, and 3 is the front cross-bar. 4, 4 aretwo runners the front ends of which are joined by the front cross-bar 3,the back ends or fingers being free. 11, 11 are two pins each projectingfrom its corresponding sidewall near the runner underside or arc whichserve as axles to the handle bars. The back cross-bar 2 carries aresilient peel cutting element comprising an arm the thin portion 5 ofwhich serves as a spring and the thick portion 6 as a carrier of thepeel cutter projecting from its base 7, the peel cutter comprising apeel cutting blade 8, with its cutting edge 9, to the free end of whichis attached at right angles a crown in the form of an arcuate plate 10.

The handle portion of the peeler comprises two arms 12 joined by across-bar 13, the front free ends of the arms 12 being provided withopenings in which their corresponding pins 1i, 11 can rotate freely.

Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 show the peeler cutting the peel 14 of the fruit. Itwill be seen that peel cutter is pressed down, the spring portion 5 ofthe arm being bent downwards to provide the upward tension, the peelcutter being held in its position by its crown 10 which is under thepeel 14 of the fruit. It will be seen more clearly in Fig. 4 that thetwo portions of the peel cut by the blade 8 are lifted by the crown it)so that each peel side or lip 14a together with the underside of thecrown 10 form a cavity 14C, the crown 1) being clear of the inner coreor segments of the fruit marked 14b. Obviously, the upward pressureprovided by the spring must not be too great its limit being determinedby the mechanical properties of the peel, the sides or lips of whichmust hold the crown down without being broken or completely curled up bythe upward pressure of the crown of the peel cutter.

Fig. 5 shows a modication of the embodiment shown in Figures l to 4, theessential difference of this second embodiment being the provision oftwo peel cutting elements of the resilient type which are disposed intransversely spaced positions with reference to the direction of cuttingto produce simultaneously parallel cuts which mark in the peel of afruit at least one strip of constant width, or which lift such a stripfrom the underlying carpels of the fruit. A side view or an elevation ofthis embodiment would be similar to that shown in Fig. 1; when engagedunder the peel of the fruit the crowns of the peel cutters press thepeel upwards, that is, away from the centre of the fruit, the necessarytension being provided by the displacement of the thin portions of thearms carrying the peel cutters, said thin portions acting as springs.Thus, the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 comprises a framework withside-walls 15, 15, the back cross-bar 16, and the front cross-bar 17.The runners 13 have their front ends joined by the bar 17 their backends or fingers being free. Two pins 31 project from their correspondingside-walls, each disposed near the runner underside serving as an axleto its corresponding arm 32 of the handle part, the two arms 32 of saidhandle part being joined by the bar 33. The back cross-bar 16 carriestwo resilient peel cutting elements comprising two arms each having itsthin portion 19, 20 which serves aS spring, and thick portion 21, 22which serves as carrier of its corresponding peel cutter; the peelcutters project respectively from their corresponding bases 23, 24, andcomprise respectively cutting blades 25, 26, with cut- 3 ting edges 27,28, and the arcuate plates or crowns 29, 30.

It will be obvious that in both embodiments peel cutters must be presseddown initially in order to engage with the underside of the peel afterthe crown or crowns have penetrated said peel. When the said initialengagement is eiected the peel itself takes over the upward pressurecaused by the deflected spring of each peel cutters arm.

It will also be clear that the upward tension may be provided by acoiled spring which would be initially extended to engage the crown withthe underside of the peel, and in this extended condition would providethe necessary upward tension or pressure.

The two embodiments as illustrated are made of the same material such asplastics of polystyrene or cellulose acetate or of urea types. This, ofcourse is not always necessary; thus springs may be made of metal, socan peel cutters, or only the cutting blades.

The handle part and the body part of the peelers as illustrated may bemanufactured as two separate pieces which are assembled.

Obviously also a peel cutter or cutters with cutting blades and crownswhich are actuated in an upward direction with reference to the centreof a fruit by springs pulling them upwards may be made a part of anycitrus fruit peeling or peel cutting machine.

I claim:

l` A peeling device for citrus fruits comprising in combination a bodyportion, runner means to contact the outer surface of the fruit,resilient mounting means on the body portion to carry peel cutting meansformed by a peel cutting blade which carries at its free end a sidewaysprojection to engage the underside of the peel, said resilientmountingmeans being such as to pull the said sideways projection and theportions of the peel which it engages upwards with reference to thecentre of the fruit in the process of peel cutting.

2. A peeling device for citrus fruits comprising in combination a bodyportion, runner means to contact the outer surface of the fruit,resilient mounting means on the body portion to carry peel. cuttingmeans formed by two peel cutting blades in transversely spaced positionswith reference to the direction of cutting, each of the said peelcutting blades carrying at its free end a sideways projection to engagethe underside of the peel, said blade being mounted on its own resilientmounting means such as to pull the said sideways projection and theportions of the peel which it engages upwards with reference to thecentre of the fruit in the process of peel cutting.

References Cited inthe iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,501Hale Apr. 17, 1894

